The Rolling Stones Fan Club of Europe It's Only Rock'n Roll

The set list

1. Start Me Up
2. You Got Me Rocking
3. She's So Cold
4. Tumbling Dice
5. Rough Justice
6. Ruby Tuesday
7. Beast Of Burden
8. All Down The Line
9. Get Up Stand Up
   --- Introductions
10. Infamy (Keith)
11. The Worst (Keith)
12. Miss You (to B-stage)
13. Oh No, Not You Again (B-stage)
14. Satisfaction (B-stage)
15. Honky Tonk Women (from B-stage)
16. Out Of Control
17. Sympathy For The Devil
18. Jumping Jack Flash
19. Brown Sugar
20. You Can't Always Get What You Want (encore)
21. It's Only Rock'n Roll (encore)

Show start :  9:40 pm
Show end   : 11:45 pm

Review by Kent Lusnia, Easthampton, MA

1- Start Me Up - Mick came out in red again, just like Fenway 2. They really play this quite well, a great opener.

2- You Got Me Rocking - crowd into this one, lots of hand clapping and You Got Me Rockins sung along.

3- She's So Cold - great version, best of the 3 nights. I think this is a much better spot in the rotation, althought we lost Shattered.

4- Tumbling Dice - my favorite, great version, Mick singing falsetto at the end I love it when he does that, just like the 2nd half of the Licks tour. 5- Rough Justice- great new song-awesome video show and the boys are real comfortable playing this now.

6- Ruby Tuesday - a great surprise, sounded awesome crowd singing along. At first I thought they might play Angie, but this was much better. Of course this meant we lost Back Of My Hand which was great the first 2 shows, but a great classic.

7- Beast of Burden - super song, the band has got this one down - it rocks, no ballad version.

8- All Down the Line - another great addition, boy did they rock out on this one. They must have rehearsed it because it was flawless. The guitars were flailing.

9- Get Up Stand Up- great version of Bob Marley song. Keith stood behind Blondie, Lisa and Bernard during most of the song. Had a double ending with Mick really working the crowd and getting them involved in a great sing along.

Intro - and on guitar - local boy done good - Keith Richards

10-Infamy - when he played this first, in the back of my mind I was thinking "were getting T&A tonite" I just love this song. Keith's singing is great vocals crystal clear. Super job.

11-The Worst - Oh well, no T&A, kinda surprised 3 shows in a row with the same songs, but very nicely done. Once again sang with Bernard arm and arm. Tim on clarinet.

12-Miss You -- moving to b stage - this was great as the B-Stage was all the way down the end of the stadium, at Fenway they could not go very far as they were not allowed on the infield. Great version , hard rocking. At the end Ronnie shook Mick's hand.

13- Oh No Not You Again - great new song, super crowd reaction. Really rockin now.

14- Satisfaction - by far the most hard rockin version in a long time, for a classic they have really stripped this down into just the boys firing away on the guitars. At one point Keith was behind Chuck crouched down on both legs inches off the floor just wailing away for about a minute.

15- Honky Tonk Women - great fan favorite. Played on their way back to the Main Stage. Large flower tounge inflatable coming out in front of the video screen. Although they are hooked up to the main stage, the video screen is not active during the B-Stage songs.

16- Out of Control - super song and light show. They have perfected this song, Mick very energenic during the song, playing both sides of the stage.

17- Sympathy - awesome, the boys just rocked.

18- Jumping Jack Flash - this might have been the best version I have ever seen. No HORNS - just down and dirty guitars. I want the boot of this show now. My goodness after all these years to crank this out like that tonight is magical.

19- Brown Sugar - great version about 9 "I said Yea Yea Yea Who's" the crowd loved it, fire and fireworks at the end. The crowd was extremely loud and appreciative of an awesome show.

encore

20- YCAGWYW - great version, alot of crowd participation, Mick came out on the Walkway to the B-Stage all the way to the end of the stadium and worked the crowd like no one but he can, at the end he came all the way back to the main stage and sat down on the stairs for several seconds, almost realishing the moment before clapping for the crowds singing.

21- IORR - great ending, I'm getting more use to this as an ending, they smoked this one tonight. I give them alot of credit for using this one, we were all so focused on what they would open with and instead they snook in a surprise ending.

Another great show, we saw the addition of three different songs - Ruby Tuesday, All Down The Line & Get Up Stand Up. We lost Shattered, Back Of My Hand, Night Time Is The Right Time AND Bitch/Heartbreaker. One less song than Fenway 1 & 2. Great crowd, they were going crazy after the band left, they did not want to see the show end. One quick note being the first actual stadium show. The Light towers will limit the viewing in the side end zone seating. If you are in the endzone you will have a direct view of the entire stage, as it bends around you will have a blocked view of the stage.

Once again the sound was crystal clear with the guitars high in the mix. I think they have solved the sound issues. Absolutely no sound drop off on B-Stage songs. 3 down, 9 to go, GOD SPEED TO THE ROLLING STONES.

Review by Vinnie D.

Review by Mark and Jan Gould, North Haven, CT

Review by Devin OConnell

Yes, go see these guys if at all possible. Not because "it could be the last time". Not because you want to see if guys this age can still bring it. Go see these guys because they rock.

Note: If you have great seats on the field I would think twice about going up on the "back stage" deal. From what I saw (I was on the field, 20th row) you appear to be a lot closer if your in the first 5-10 rows and plus, from there, the Stones are playing towards you. From the back stage it seems you're not only looking down on their heads but you're looking at the back of their heads as well. That said, it looks like a blast. Now that I've seen them from the field I'd love to get up there but, if you're only going to one show, try to check out the view of your seats before giving them up to go up top. I'm not sure what the sound is like up there either (you're behind the speakers).

On stage transfer & Hartford review By ED Quinn

Three final points. If you are going to transfer tickets, just to be safe, check at the Onstage table first who knows it could be different at the next venue. 2. Give that person your ID just in case they are asked. Both times at will call they asked for my ID but never looked at my face so this should not be an issue. As I mentioned in one review most of these people are partime college kids and they could care. 3. If you purchased two single tickets make sure you mention this at the will call. Because when I said my name and showed my ID she pulled one envelope and handed it too me Thank god I opened it, there was only one in there. I told her and she found another envelope. So keep in mind.

I thought this process was suppose to prevent transfers or scalping all it did was just add one step. If they were smart they would have the tickets at the onstage check in , when you showed your ID give you the tickets wrist band and onstage pass in the same spot. But thank god they do it the way they are doing it.

Now the show, I'll keep it short: Shattered be Gone!!! There's a God. In my mind that's all that needs to be said but it was better than that. I did think the first two to three songs were not as loud as Fenway and it seems to have gotten louder as the show went on but my buddy said he noticed no difference. I think the cylinders in this machine are really starting to click I think the 10th through the teen shows will hit full stride. Ruby Tuesday: I know they have played it periodically on recent tours but I have not caught since Steel wheels when it was every show. Awesome the whole crowd sang everyword I hope they keep it. All down the line: tight, raw and loud Bob Marley song done very well but not nearly as good as the Ray Charles song. Lisa was on the back burner all night not really featured at all. B-stage the same now for three strait shows I have a feeling that this will remain the same for all outdoor venues. It has gone over very very well and they are kicking Ass out there ONNYA & Satisfaction blew me away. Honky Tonk had a couple of miss Q'S over all good. The B stage also extended a lot further down the field because it did not have the restraints of a baseball diamond. so they landed in front of me.

Out of Control I love it everytime it scares me that the crowd is not taking to this song even though I saw great response in 97 when it was introduced an nobody new it. They do respond during the jam session and fabulous light show but at the beginning they are like HuH what. IORR members please pump up the crowd for this song IT MUST STAY.

Fenway 1st night I was real close left field and 2nd show on stage. But tonight I was dead center endzone directly behind B stage. The visuals looking strait on from that distance were unbelievable. I was closer both nights in fenway I loved the stage since day one but last night from this distance my eyes took in the true beauty of this stage. I'm convinced you need to be set back some to truly get it all. I hope indoors is a scaled down version.

Finally: After two shows in Fenway I was getting real nervous that the setlist was going to be pretty standard but once again the boys have surprised the shit out of me. Lets hope for plenty more change ups. They did jip us out of one song Fenway got 22 no more jipping please. My first indoor will be 3 weeks in Albany lets hope for some big setlist shuffle. MY Motto until then is PRAY FOR SWAY, PRAY FOR SWAY.

Review by Joe & Samantha Schaefer, Cheshire, CT USA

Review by Robert Bagel

The first sign that tonight would be different than those at Fenway was She�s So Cold showing up earlier in the set, where it worked well, though the guitar breaks in mid song were sloppier than the tour�s previous two versions. Unlike Boston, there seemed to be some sound problems tonight as there was scrambling about on stage, specifically with Ron�s guitar and Bobby Keyes asking his volume to be turned up. We were treated to a version of Ruby Tuesday which was good in its potential, but definitely showed signs of being the tour�s first take on the song. Keith�s harmonies, which can often be spectacular in complimenting Mick�s voice, were tentative and simply did not sound right. Chuck Leavell�s piano was an appealing and graceful feature of the song.

The Stones made it more clear that they were mixing up the set tonight, when we got another welcome surprise with All Down the Line, Ron and Mick�s guitars interlocking, horns blaring, Charlie smiling. It seemed like a song of celebration that the Stones were back on the road, sounding better than ever, taking more chances, and seeing to it that each show will be a unique experience.

The highlight of the night was Get Up Stand Up, a Bob Marley tribute replacing the Ray Charles tribute of the Boston shows. Here Keith�s backup vocals were strong, the reggae sound perfect, with guitars and drums in machine like rhythm, allowing for Mick to scowl and let it all hang out, being greatly versatile in his singing, displaying contrast to the rock and roll or ballads we are used to. The back up singers blended in on the refrains, drawing in the crowd, as the tremendous Bigger Bang stage looked better than ever, lit in the green, yellow, and red colors of the Rastafarian flag. Lisa Fischer and Bernard roamed around stage, making the Stones seem 100% like a reggae band in sound and look with the number of people moving about stage to the beat. To end the song, Mick had the crowd take over on vocals, the band quiet, leading to a big finish with the band kicking back in for a final verse. It was one of the better moments so far of the tour.

Mick introduced Keith as �Local boy made good�, in reference to Keith�s Connecticut residence, a theme also used in 1999 at the Hartford Civic Center when Keith called him self a �homeboy�. It was again fun to see the crowd take Keith as one of their own, recognizing this as a homecoming as much as�if not more�than a return to England. For his set, Infamy was played first (this song is getting better and better), which sparked anticipation of what would follow (thinking maybe a more up tempo song?). It was a bit strange to then get The Worst, so the two songs of the Boston sets were simply transposed. While this still worked, the switch did not make for an improvement in the set flow.

Without an infield to protect like at Fenway, the end point of the moving stage was farther out tonight. Mick used this feature to the fullest, walking down the field�s center path for Beast of Burden and going all the way to the end on You Can�t Always Get What You Want, leading the sing along for the back seats. The moving stage is still such a striking part of the show, from when the band first wheels out like a rock and roll parade float, to when it returns to the main stage with the backdrop of the giant inflatable floral pattern lips and tongue (tonight happily, both corners of the lips were untwisted, unlike at the first two Boston shows).

One benefit of the stage rolling past is you can read the setlist written on the plexiglass panel next to Charlie. While I did this and saw that there were no additional surprises in tonight�s set, the show�s final run of classic Stones songs (can we finally include 1997�s Out of Control in that category please?) was strong. Sympathy For the Devil takes complete advantage of the stage, with Mick using the walkway over the rear of the stage, giant red snakeskin patterns rapidly flashing on the big screen, and periodic bursts of flame from the stage top that throw an amazing amount of heat and light throughout the stadium. While Mick got a late start on the vocals in Jumping Jack Flash, awkwardly jamming the first line into a few seconds, by then it really did not take away from the show. A few miscues, a little unevenness are small price to pay for all the variety in musical styles and spectacular set list changes which makes us curious as to what the next song will be, or what the next show will include. So before we can complain that Back of My Hand was not played tonight, we are busy replaying in our minds how Get Up Stand Up transformed Connecticut into Jamaica for several minutes, or what a rush it was to see and hear Ruby Tuesday and All Down the Line again. Sometimes people ask, �How can you go to all those shows, aren�t they the same?� perhaps thinking of ballet, opera, or rehearsed precision required by less talented musicians. Tonight was the perfect answer to that question, showing that a Rolling Stones show is not a disciplined repetitive tribute to 40+ years of rock�n�roll, but a fluid, unpredictable blast that draws its larger-than-rock�n�roll spirit from many styles, sources, and sheer courage for entertainment adventure.

Review by Ray Naussedat

Well I thought I should write a bit more since I barely post although I 've been following this great board for a few years now. I mean I don't understand so much from the open-G and vibrato discussions here and English is not my native language but I do play some basic guitar and as for the most of us : the Stones have been a soundtrack for my life.

I saw them first at the Olympia stadium in Berlin in 1990. Not getting emotional but born and raised in a 3000 soul village in Thueringia in former East Germany it was one of those dreams after the wall came down... Anyway the only Deutsch Mark I had when the presale started I did invest in a Stones ticket. So this will ever be my favourite show perhaps more related to circumstances rather than to the band musically output ? But again it was just Great (even the drive on the Autobahn to West Berlin with my "Trabant"). Great stadium, great town, great growd and of course the Greatest R'n'R Band on Earth.

Later on in the 90's I saw them at least once on every tour: I got to Hockenheim in 1995 with my bicycle right underneath through the A5 from Heidelberg where I now lived and studied and bought a ticket from a scalper for 80 DM. It was the biggest concert I have ever been to. The official release was 90000 but I guess it was over a hundredthousand. From what I remember the VL tour was very good the guitars were up and it was a great stage with the Cobra head on top.

I have mixed memories about the B2B tour. I saw them in Mannheim in 1998. It was a cold day already in September and the crowd, about 85000, was very lame. In 1999 my company sent me (of course I also applied for) for 1 year to England. I lived in Watford near London. A great time ! You folks probably know what comes now: Yes I scored tickets for the Saturday show at Wembley and I had great expectations. I mean the boys play in their home town what else can you expect as a huge sing along with the crowd ? It was a great show but it could not match, at least not in my memories, the Berlin show in 1990 and also Hockenheim in 1995. I also recognized that Ronnie maybe didn't play so well or was he just not that concentrated ? For the Friday show I couldn't get tickets but showed up at Wembley stadium and tried to bribe a security guy... for 20 pounds he indeed had let me in for the last four songs. Well I was already grazy infected with the RS virus I guess... I saw when Keith took a bow through Charlie's and Mick's hands... funny.

I found the Licks tour much more better than B2B tour (but I like the B2B album) although I had a hard time to see all the AC/DC fans in Hockenheim. Did they upstage the Stones or not ? I would say they were equal....

So I skip anything else about Licks - it's not so long ago.

Now what can I say about Hartford what has not already been mentioned here and in the reviews before : Hartford was for 1 night the Rock'n Roll capital in the world. The band played fresh on an amazing energy level and it's good to see all of them : Keith smiles AND plays, Ronny plays and he is loud in the mix, Charlie as ever : solid and constant the engine ! And Mick who believes that this guy is 62 ? It's not only that he works the crowd as only he can : His voice seems stronger than ever and surprisingly he sounds so youthful ! Skipping my emotional part for the first show in Berlin I would say : These are the best Stones I have ever seen ! The crowd in Hartford was fantastic. It was also the first US show I attended and we got nice weather too. My favourites : a more rocking version of Beast of Burden, than Ruby Tuesday were the crowd sung along, Oh No Not You Again I couldn't get this out of my mind the whole Saturday, a sharp Satisfaction and a Jumping Jack Flash with Keith playing tremedous. There havn't really been weaker moments, somewhat on Sympathy I couldn't hear Keith solo in the first part of the song so well but the revitalised Ice pick guitar came back at the end and the entire song is a crowd pleaser as usual. I do not complain about the set list because it's a stadium show so they have to play their big hits and they do this with passion. If they can keep this, the high energy level, sharpness and freshness this will be a very good tour and they prove once more that they are the peak for all they others.

After the show we couldn't find our car because the parking level A and B look so simular with the same view to Rentschler field. After 4 times backwards and forwards on level A somebody gave us a hint to try the same procedure at level B... now we got it !

What a night ! My girlfriend told me she hadn't expected such a great show and was wondering if she by herself could wear these pants by Mick... Well ... he's probaly only 20 pounds ... you know... But she's still impressed and thrilled and might become a fan at least somewhat an adorer ....

Finally we got home safe to NYC where I was sent by my company in 2003... You can rate I also applied for :-)

Thanks Rolling Stones !!

Ray

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